A Certain Scientific Familiar
by Ketchum Kid
Summary: Louise wanted a beautiful and wise familiar. What she got was a walking power plant with no patience for disrespect to anyone. In a world where nobles and magic rule and espers and science are non-existent, can the Zero of Tristain cope with having a familiar that is the Ace of Tokiwadai?
1. Prologue: The Point of No Return

_Longtime followers of mine may remember my first foray into the Familiar of Zero crossover community. Those who do know that it did not start well, and got so bad that I had to pull it off the site. A redesign was in order, but harshly negative reviews, while partially justified, ripped into me and made me reluctant to return to this particular fandom._

_Well, I'm back in the community. This time, I have a different story to cross over, with a different approach. I feel that rather than magic-on-magic, science-on-magic would be a better fit for an attempt such as this. Thus, I present my newest crossover attempt, one that will balance off between both worlds and fandoms._

_If this starts off too similar to the Familiar of Zero storyline, please do not write a long review stating how bad my story is because of that sole reason. The mantra for my crossovers is like a wedge; the similarities are strong, but as it progresses further from the start, key differences are eventually established. I will say now that this is a Replace-Saito-With-Character-X story, but who replaces Saito is not someone who is helpless without runes. In fact, Saito is not replaced; he has been repurposed to fit the story that I wish to create._

_With that said, I hope you enjoy the start to my story._

_ - Ketchum Kid_

* * *

**Prologue: The Point of No Return**

Some could only catch a glimpse of her. Others swore that it was a mirage, a trick that nature pulls on hot summer day over the pavement. To those who study such things, it was simply the work of a Teleporter.

In any case, Kuroko Shirai, the Level 4 Teleporter of Judgment's 177th branch, was racing through the sky, appearing in one instance above the street, and then disappearing for a moment, before reappearing further down the road. This continued for some ways down the block, until the twin-tailed auburn-headed girl appeared on the sidewalk, in front of an alleyway. The alleyway was dark, and loud noises could be heard from it. Kuroko reached to her earpiece, used to communicate with the branch office.

"Uiharu, is this the alleyway in the report?" she asked.

"_Yes," _a voice on the other end replied. _"Be careful going in there; this faction of Skill-Out is deemed to be one of the most notorious by the higher-ups."_ Kuroko nodded, even though nobody was around. She crept towards the alleyway, and was about to lean in to get a good look.

**Bri-Bri-Bri!**

"Ah!" Kuroko whipped back, just in time before a wave of electricity flooded the alleyway. Cries of pain and agony could be heard from the area. Some people passing the area stopped, wondering what had happened.

"_K-Kuroko! Are you all right?!" _Uiharu asked in a panic. _I just saw a huge spike in energy in the alleyway! What's going on?!" _ Kuroko groaned. She walked calmly into the alley, not afraid of anyone who was in it.

"Don't worry, Uiharu," she assured her co-worker in an annoyed tone. "It was just her again, messing up Judgment operations as usual." Kuroko scanned the alleyway. About eight males, in their twenties, were all lying on the ground. Arcs of electricity passed through their messy hair. A few of the men groaned, but most had been knocked out cold from the electric blast.

In the middle of all this was a middle school student. A girl with short brunette hair, and wearing a light brown sweater over a white blouse with a grey shirt – the same Tokiwadai Middle School outfit that Kuroko was wearing – she appeared to be the epitome of a proper lady. The uninterested look in her brown eyes and the strewn of unconscious bodies around her, however, said otherwise.

"Oh, it's you, Kuroko," the girl replied nonchalantly. Kuroko grunted.

"Misaka, how many times do I have to tell you to not stick your nose into business that isn't yours?" the Judgment worker reprimanded.

"What?" the brunette answered. "They were hitting on me and a friend of mine, and it was getting annoying." Kuroko got cross. This wasn't the first time that Misaka had done Judgment's work before they could arrive, and it drove the auburn-haired girl crazy.

"That isn't what I meant!" she shouted, a vein popping out of her head. "This is Judgement's work to take down criminals and misdemeanors, not common citizens! In addition, if word gets out that Misaka Mikoto, the Railgun and the Ace of Tokiwadai Middle School, is picking fights in dark alleyways, your reputation will go down as well!"

"Then get here faster," Misaka stated bluntly. "If you can't handle these incidents on time, how do you expect to respond to things on the scale of Poltergeist or Silent Party?" She paused in thought. "Oh wait, that was after I did some sleuthing by myself, without Judgment's help." Kuroko was seething at Misaka. She turned around, and began walking away.

"You may be my roommate, as well as my sworn partner in love, but sometimes you drive me up a wall!" complained the Judgment officer. "And lately, it's been coming to a complete head with my Judgment work. I know a walk clears heads, but how about going to a place where you can't interfere with my work?" Kuroko vanished, teleporting back to the Judgment office.

"'Sworn partner…in love?'" Misaka repeated. "Just what has gotten into her?" The brunette picked up her black bag, which had been propped up against a pipe, and walked out of the alleyway. "Besides, it's not like I'm specifically upset at her. The only reason I needed to clear my head was because of that stupid Tou…"

Misaka stopped as she stepped out of the alleyway. To her right, and seemingly ignored by everyone around her, was something that caught her eye.

It was a floating green blob.

"What the…" the brunette wondered aloud. The blob was oval in shape, and gave off a soft glow of reen light. As people walked around it – and even through it – Misaka began investigating the strange apparition.

'_What is this green orb? Since people are walking around it, it's safe to assume that most people cannot see it….could it be something only electromasters can see?' _The Railgun paused her train of thought. _'Maybe I should contact Judgement…no. It's right in front of me. By the time that Kuroko or someone else gets here, it could be too late. It has to be me.'_ Cautiously, she walked up to the orb, and placed her right hand on it. _'Sorry, Kuroko, but I'm doing what I think is right.'_

Her hand stayed on the orb for a second. Then, without warning, a small portal, which seemed to lead into a blackish void-like area, opened up. It swallowed up Misaka's hand, and began to drag her arm towards the green blob.

"Hey!" Misaka shouted. She was being pulled closer and closer to the orb. "I knew it; this thing's hostile! Everyone, get out of here!"

To her complete surprise, nobody moved. Nobody looked in her direction. Nobody seemed to even notice that she was there.

It was like she was no longer present in the city.

"This must be the work of multiple espers!" the brunette deduced. "Well, you messed with the wrong girl! HAH!" Gathering up electricity, she channeled it into her arm, which emitted a strong electric shock. However, nothing appeared to happen. "What?!"

The orb suddenly started to glow a bright blue. The orb turned into a giant portal, and began to drag Misaka into whatever was on the other side.

"No you don't!" Misaka channeled all of her electricity into her joints, trying to get them to move away from the portal. However, it was no use. The portal dragged Misaka closer and closer. "M-Maybe I should have listened to Kuroko after ALL!"

Misaka vanished into the portal, which immediately closed afterwards. Her black bag, which was dropped when she was jerked into the portal, fell to the ground, and clattered with a soft thud. The air became still for a moment, before the city air returned, with normal citizens continuing their daily routine like nothing had happened.

"Man, I have to get myself a part-time job," a black haired teen sighed as he walked down the sidewalk. He was carrying a laptop. "8500 yen for a computer repair is too much for me, and mom won't lend me the money…" He was so lost in thought, that he did not notice Misaka's bag. His foot caught on it, and made him stumble forward, into the ground. "Dhowa?!"

**Thud!**

"Ow…." He groaned. The boy looked backwards, towards the bag that was the source of his tumble. "What's a bag doing on the sidewalk by itself?"

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Level 5 to Level Commoner

Positive reviews so far, so it's good to go for the next chapter, where we actually get to see Louise and her world for the first time!

A few notes from me though: I left out a digit in the prologue, so it should be 8500 yen, not 850. I read the subtitles wrong :P Also, that isn't Touma at the end, contrary to popular belief. Anyway, here's chapter two, so read, review, and subscribe!

- Ketchum Kid

EDIT: Okay, you learn something new every day. Now that it is established to me that Misaka can speak French...half of this chapter is blown to bits. I admittedly haven't read most of the New Testament Volumes, so I honestly did not know about that. To clear up some of the confusion, I've added a few lines. It may not make enough sense, but when a lot of people are speaking the same foreign language, isn't it hard for you to translate it?

* * *

**Ketchum Kid Presents**

**A Familiar of Zero/A Certain Scientific Railgun Crossover**

**A Certain Scientific Familiar**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Level 5 to Level Commoner**

Misaka found herself flying through a black void. As far as she could tell, it went on to no end, completely enveloping the area she was in.

"This must be the work of some high-level esper," the electromaster said to herself. "Although I've never heard of an ability like this before. Maybe it's a level four…" Before she could continue her thought, a voice rang out through the darkness.

**"I, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers, following my fate, I summon a Familiar,"** the voice said. Misaka was surprised.

"Huh? Is somebody here?" she wondered. Then, she tensed up, electricity sparking from her body. "Maybe it's the person who brought me here…"

**"My servant that existed somewhere in this vast universe,"** the voice continued. **"My divine, beautiful, wise, powerful servant, heed my call; I wish from very bottom of my heart and add to my guidance and appear before me!"** At those words, a bright light appeared before Misaka, growing in size until it was larger than she was. Then, it appeared to Misaka that the portal was either moving towards her, or she was moving towards it. In the darkness, she couldn't tell.

"Aw crap!" she exclaimed. "I don't want to stay here, but I don't want to go into a random portal again!" She did not have a choice in the matter, as she soon found herself going through the portal.

* * *

It took a long time, at least in her mind, to wake up and be outside of the portal. She was staring up into the blue sky. She felt the soft brushing of grass on her back, and the gentle push of a breeze blew over her face.

_'That's odd,' she thought. 'I thought I was walking through Academy City, and then I was sucked into this portal…'_ Her eyes suddenly went wide open. _'The portal!'_ She sat up, and looked around. Gone were the tall buildings and crowded sidewalks of Academy City. There were still tall structures, but they were in the form of a grey stone wall, and a few grey stone turrets in the distance to all sides of her. There were still crowds, but these crowds were of much smaller and uniform stature. The people, who all appeared to be students of high-school age, wore variations on the same outfit. The guys wore a white collared shirt, dark blue pants, and a blue cape, while girls wore a white collared shirt, a blue skirt with long blue tights, and a blue cape. Behind the crowd, Misaka could see that there were some animals, but was unable to make out any specifics.

"What is this?" the brunette wondered. "That's not a uniform Familiar to Academy City. Maybe it's a field trip?" It was then Misaka noticed the girl standing in front of her. She had long, wavy hip-length pink hair, with large, Western-like pink eyes. Looking at her, the girl was a few centimeters shorter than Misaka, and came up to her forehead. In her right hand was a thin wooden stick.

"Qui êtes-vous?" the girl asked. Misaka was confused. She did not know what language that this girl was speaking.

"…Huh…?" she asked, confused.

"Mon nom est Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière," the girl said, motioning her hand to herself. Then, she pointed a finger at Misaka. "Qui êtes-vous?" The hand gestures indicated to Misaka that this girl, Louise, was trying to know who she was. Admittedly, the language sounded similar, but not quite, French, a language Misaka had learned at Tokiwadai; however, that would not be sufficient for communication, since some words did not properly translate. Since there was a language barrier, hand gestures were to be the bridge for this exchange.

"B...Bonjour...mon nom est Makoto Misaka," the Railgun answered, doing the same hand gestures. "I am a Level 5 Esper from Tokawadi Academy in Academy City."

"Où êtes-vous, civil?" Louise asked. Misaka tilted her head, not comprehending the question.

"Louise, qu'est-ce que vous pensez appeler un roturier avec 'Summon Servant'?" someone called from the crowd. This aroused a mocking laughter, its target being the Louise girl. The pinkette turned towards the voice.

"J...J'ai fait une petite erreur!" Louise shouted at the person.

"Qu'est-ce que l'erreur que tu racontes?" another person called out. "Rien d'inhabituel s'est passé!"

"Bien sûr!" a girl shouted in laughter. "Après tout, elle est Louise la Zero!" The laughter arose again. With all these words being thrown around, Misaka was finding it nearly impossible to translate, but the brunette began to understand the situation. With a moniker of 'Zero,' it appeared that Louise was inept at something in this society that was considered to be commonplace. Because of this, she was ostracized and made fun up. Whatever Louise had done that related to Misaka, she had failed as well.

It reminded her of Saten's situation as a Level 0, and the stereotype that is associated with it.

It disgusted her.

"Enough!" she yelled, as she stood up off the ground. The crowd stopped laughing, and focused onto her. "I know you probably do not understand me, but there is no right for you to make fun of Louise just because she can't succeed. Everyone has a failure at some point in their lives, but they can work on such failures, and eventually pass them. Even those that start out at Level 0 can become a Level 5 with hard work!" There was stunned silence for a few moments. However, the laughter soon returned. "Huh?"

"Comment appropriée!" a person in the crowd shouted. "Le Zero convoque un citoyen ordinaire qui a la même morsure comme elle le fait!" Misaka frowned, her anger rising to dangerous levels.

"Maybe this calls for something more in their language…" she muttered. "Or maybe something understood in many languages..." Louise was about to say something to Misaka, but she stopped short of speaking. The pinkette watched as a spark of electricity shot from the brunette's hair, dissipating into the air.

"Quelle le…" she said, in a soft, stunned voice. At that moment, a middle-aged man, wearing a long black robe and carrying a large wooden staff, appeared out of the crowd.

"Louise, ont plus de contrôle sur les actions de votre familier," he said. Louise and Misaka both calmed down as the man came towards them, and the laughter died down.

'_This must be a professor here,'_ thought Misaka. _'Or at least, a __chaperon.' _Louise turned to the professor.

"Oh, M. Colbert! Je vais essayer d'appeler à nouveau, s'il vous plaît!" The professor – whose last name was apparently Colbert – shook his head.

"Je ne peux pas permettre que, Miss Vallière," he replied. Louise looked shocked.

"P-pourquoi pas?" she asked.

"Il est strictement interdit," the black robed man explained. "Quand vous êtes promu à un étudiant en deuxième année, vous aurez besoin d'un appel familier, qui est ce que vous venez de faire. Votre spécialité élémentaire est décidé par le familier qui vous appelle. Elle vous permet de procéder à des cours appropriés pour cet élément. Vous ne pouvez pas changer le familier une fois que vous avez appelé parce que le 'Springtime Familiar Summoning' un rite sacré. Que vous le vouliez ou non, vous n'avez pas le choix, mais de le prendre."

'_I barely understand anything about this conversation,' _Misaka thought, placing her hand on her head in frustration. '_Although I do understand the word Summoning. Hasn't a certain someone said something about that before…?'_

"Mais ... je ne l'ai jamais avoir entendu un familier! Ordinaire comme!" Louise shouted at Colbert. "Et une fille pas moins!" The laughter in the crowd resumed, and did not stop, even after a glare at the audience by Louise. Colbert held his staff up, and said something to quiet the other students.

"C'est une tradition, Miss Vallière,"he continued. "Je ne peux pas tolérer aucune exception." He pointed at Misaka. "C'est peut-être un citoyen ordinaire, mais tant qu'elle a été appelée par vous, il devrait être votre familier. Jamais dans l'histoire l'homme a appelé l'homme comme un familier, mais le 'Springtime Familiar Summoning' a préséance sur toute règle. En otherwords, il n'y a pas d'autre solution, elle est d'être votre familier." Louise's face fell.

"Vous plaisantez ..." she muttered. The pinkette turned to face Misaka, gaining the Electromaster's full attention. "hé."

"Hmn?" Misaka replied.

"Vous devez vous considérer comme chanceux," Louise told her. "Normalement, vous iriez toute votre vie sans un noble de faire cela pour vous." The pinkette closed her eyes, and took out a brown wooden stick from her pocket. "Mon nom est Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagone des Cinq pouvoirs élémentaires, bénis cette humble être et lui faire mon familier." She chanted this over and over several times, and then touched Misaka's forehead with the stick. The Electromaster was partially amused, and partially confused.

"What's going on?" she wondered aloud. "This is like some sort of magical fairy tale acting." Louise frowned

"Restez encore," the pinkette told her. She then placed both of her hands on Misaka's shoulders, and drew close. Warning bells went off in the brunette's mind, and early memories of her time rooming with Kuroko flooded back to the forefront.

"H…hey!" she yelped, turning red in the face. "I-I'm not into that stuff…a-a-and you just met-!" She tried to struggle away.

"Ah, je vous ai dit de rester encore!" Lousie shouted in frustration. She grabbed Misaka's face, and drew it level to hers. The sudden jerk startled Misaka, and let her guard down.

Watching Louise close her eyes, Misaka was forced into a kiss with the girl.

Louise blushed as the kiss was held out for several seconds. She finally released the kiss. "C'est fait." The pinkette opened her eyes, and looked at Misaka. "Eh?" The brunette was red as a tomato, and her anger levels rose to a new high.

"Not again…" she muttered, clenching her fist. "First I was tricked by Kuroko, and n-now by this idiot?!"

"Ce n'était pas comme je voulais t'embrasser, idiot!" Louise said to her, hints of annoyance in her voice. To this, Misaka brought her fist down on the pinkette's head. "Ow!"

"And another thing, don't call me an idiot, 'idiot!'" the Electromaster continued. "I was the one who was involuntarily kissed, not you!" Despite the laughter at Louise and the fighting between the two involved parties, Colbert was applauding.

"Félicitations, Louise!" the man said happily. "Vous avez échoué de nombreux sorts de base de nombreuses fois, mais vous avez réussi à réussir à la fois 'Summon Servant' et 'Contract Servant' dans un essai!" Misaka picked up on more key words.

"'Servant?' 'Contract?'" The brunette was worried about being associated with words that, when used with her name, would make Kuroko howl in excitement. "Hey, what is all this about?" However, Louise was yelling at someone in the crowd, and Colbert was hopelessly trying to mediate the conflict. "I've got a bad feeling about this…" As she said this, her right hand began to burn up. "Aaah!" Misaka grabbed her hand, and began gritting her teeth. "What are you people doing to me?!" Louise turned around, seeming to only slightly care for her.

"Il sera bientôt terminé, attendez," she said. "Les Runes familiers sont inscrits." As she said this, the burning sensation on Misaka's hand stopped. Misaka looked at her right hand, and found that there was now a written description on her hand.

"Hmmm ... Ce sont des runes très inhabituelles," Colbert said, looking intently at Misaka. The brunette jumped back. Everything was just too much for her at the moment. She looked around at the students, all dressed in the same outfits. Finally getting a good look at the animals that were around them, Misaka noticed several strange creatures that were accompanying some of the students, including a red lizard that was breathing fire and a blue dragon-like creature. These were things that Misaka had never seen before.

"Alright, answer me now!" she ordered. "Who are you people, and where am I? How far is it to Academy City? Who do you answer to?..." These questions went unanswered, as neither side could understand the other. Louise was getting a headache from it.

"Mon Dieu, il ne cesse de faire du bruit!" she shouted, clutching her head.

"Peut-être que vous utilisez la dernière le silence le sort taugh pour vous?" Colbert asked, looking at Louise.

"Bonne idée!"she replied. She brought her wooden stick out again, and pointed it at Misaka, who was still asking questions. "Voyons voir... Ansul, Bel, An; Par mes mots, être ordonné de garder le silence!"

"…and furthermore, are you enemies of Judge-!"

**!BOOM!** Misaka became engulfed in an explosion, with thick black smoke surrounding her. "KEH! KOUGH!" The smoke quickly dissipated, and Misaka glared once again at Louise. "What's the big idea, idiot? First you kiss me, and now you blow me up?!" Louise and Colbert both blinked.

"Huh?" Louise said, staring at Misaka.

"I didn't want to hurt you because I cannot speak the same language as you do, but you're giving me no choice!" She got in a fighting stance.

"I can understand you," Louise said to Misaka, speaking perfectly in the same language as the brunette. Misaka was about to reach into her pocket for an arcade token, but stopped mid-action.

"Hold on," she said, in surprise. "Did you say 'I can understand you'?" Louise nodded.

"It changed into a Translation Spell?" Colbert wondered in surprise.

"Say something," Louise asked, although it was more of a command than a request.

"If you know Japanese, why didn't you speak in Japanese in the beginning?" Misaka asked. Louise tilted her head in confusion.

"What is 'Japonese'?" she wondered. The pinkette then groaned. "It was supposed to be a Silence Spell, and I messed up again." The crowd chuckled again.

"Still, at least now we can communicate with your Familiar now," Colbert stated, "so we have a positive result." The strangely-clad man turned to Misaka. "Young lady, what is your name?"

"Me?" the brunette answered. "I am Misaka Mikoto, of Tokiwadi Girl's Academy." Colbert's face was that of confusion.

"Tokiwadai?" he repeated. "I've never heard of it before. What country is it located in?"

"The City-State of Academy City, which is located in Japan," the Railgun stated.

"Never heard of it," Louise said. "It must be in some backwoods area like Germania."

"As much as I'd like to retort back at that, I can say I've never heard of that location in my country before," a dark-skinned woman shouted from the crowd. Confirming this was Misaka's confused look on her face.

"Germania? Don't you mean Germany?" she said. "And doesn't this qualify as backwoods? You're out in the middle of nowhere." Colbert furrowed his brow. It seemed that there were some differences between the world views of Misaka and those of everyone else in the area.

"Hmmm…" he pondered. "I think I need to speak with Headmaster Osmond about this. In the meantime, everyone, please return to your dormitories for the rest of the day. Normal classes will start tomorrow." Colbert walked away from the two girls, and towards the central building of the school grounds. Louise looked at Misaka.

"You, Commoner. Follow me," she said. Louise began walking away from the now-dispersing crowd of students.

"H-Hey!" Misaka exclaimed, calling out to the pinkette. "Don't you owe me an explanation as to where I am and such?" Louise stopped, and turned back to the brunette.

"It's going to be evening soon," she told her. "You don't want to sleep outside in the cold, do you?" Misaka frowned. Going with Louise – presumably to her room – was not that desirable. However, sleeping out in the cold without any provisions was more terrifying to the Railgun.

"Alright," she said reluctantly. "But I need an explanation for everything that's going on once we're inside!" The brunette followed her newfound acquaintance towards one of the towers. Just then, a flurry of shadows passed overhead. Misaka looked up at the sky, and was astonished to see that it was the entirety of the crowd, flying overhead with nothing to suggest that it would be possible. "Woah!"

"A Commoner like you is perfect as her familiar!" one of them shouted, as she noticed Misaka's gaze.

"You'd better join Zero in her walk back!" a boy added, and the two laughed. Within seconds, the shadows of the crowd have disappeared, leaving behind for Misaka another contradiction. In the sky, she could see the faint outline of not one, but two moons.

"That can't be right…" she murmured. She then thought for a moment. _'Strange language, these 'Spells,' Strange outfits, and now multiple moons. Could it be that that portal was not an esper's power, but a form of magic, like what that idiot and that nun deal with on an everyday occurrence?'_ The people who had flown away, likely mages, the foreign words that they were using, and the strange creatures and objects surrounding them began to connect together in her mind. _'And not only that, but is this not Earth at all, but some completely different world?'_

"Are you coming, Commoner?" Louise called out. "Or do you want to sleep outside like all of the other Familiars?"

"Ah, hold on!" the brunette stated, and hurried off after her into the tower.

* * *

The Headmaster of the academy was an old man, clad with a long black robe and long white hair that covered his face with a flowing mustache and beard. At a nearby desk, a woman, his secretary, was signing papers with a white quill pen. She wore a dark blue hoodless woman's robe and a mahogany colored cape. Her green hair was tied up into a mid-length ponytail with a yellow band.

Headmaster Osmond let out a loud sigh of relief, and looked outside towards the setting sun. "Looks like we're off to another safe start this year, Miss Longueville. Why, even the third-born of the Vallière Family did not completely obliterate everyone in the Summon Servant Ritual, and actually seems to have summoned a Familiar quite successfully." He took out a white pipe, and took a smoke out of it. "As Headmaster of the Tristainian Academy of Magic, I can wish for nothing less; therefore, I am hap-oh?" His pipe began levitating out of his hand, and floated to the desk of his secretary. "Oh dear…" Osmond stood up from his desk, and turned to his secretary's desk.

"Taking care of your health is part of the job of a secretary, Old Osmond," said Longueville, barely even looking up from her task. Osmond picked up his wooden staff, and walked over to her desk.

"Are you really going to take away one of my few pleasures that I have in my aging years, Miss Longueville?" he pleaded. Longueville sighed.

"If you want to have more years to enjoy such pleasures, you should cut back on your tobacco usage," Longueville warned. Osmond walked behind the secretary, and placed his hand on her backside. "Please stop touching my hip. And don't act like you have dementia, since you've tried that already." Osmond quickly removed his hand, and looked away bashfully.

"A-Ah, I was just making sure you'd be ready for when you get married!" the old headmaster admitted. "You don't think that a guy would like you if your waist is too big, do you?" Longueville coughed, knocking her glasses off of her face.

"Do you want me to report you to the royal palace?!" she said to him, picking her glasses off the desk and placing them back on her face. "I can get you on harassment, you know." Osmond sweatdropped.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Longueville," Osmond stated. "A moment of weakness, is all." Longueville rolled her eyes.

"Sure it was," she said. At that moment, the door opened. Professor Colbert walked in.

"Pardon my intrusion, Old Osmond," he stated, "but I wanted to give an update on the Summon Servant ceremony for the second-year students." Osmond walked back to his desk, and sat down.

"Yes, I heard it was a success," he said. "Even the third daughter of the Vallière family summoned a Familiar." Hearing the Vallière name caused Colbert to frown.

"Actually, that is why I came here," the professor told Osmond. "Miss Vallière's Familiar is a Commoner girl." Both Osmond and Longueville gasped slightly.

"A girl?" Osmond repeated.

"I can't think of a previous case where someone had summoned a Commoner as a Familiar," Longueville stated. Osmond frowned.

"Miss Longueville, I must apologize, but I must ask you to step outside for a moment," he asked her. "I must have a private word with Professor Colbert regarding this matter." Longueville bowed her head.

"I understand," she stated. The young woman walked out of the headmaster's office, closing the door behind her as she did.

"Is something the matter, sir?" Colbert asked. Osmond stood up, and walked over to a bookshelf. He took out an old, dusty book, which probably had not been read in a very long time.

"It is true what Miss Longueville said," Osmond stated. "There is no case of a peasant being summoned by a noble during the Summon Servant ritual, but that is only in recent history. There has been a case of this happening before, and it is one almost everyone should be Familiar with." He flipped through the pages of the book, until he was about halfway through it. "Ah, here it is. Tell me, do the runes in this drawing look Familiar to you?" Osmond showed the book to Colbert. In the top left corner of the page was a rune carving. Colbert gasped.

"That…that looks very similar to the rune carvings on Miss Vallière's Familiar!" he exclaimed. "But Sir, how could you…" Osmond looked at Colbert, with a serious look on his face.

"These are supposedly the rune carvings of the Founder Brimir's Familiar, Sasha," Osmond stated. "Sasha, as you know, was an elf, and as a humanoid creature, is not normally summoned under the four common elements of magic." Osmond placed the book back on the shelf. "That Familiar of hers…not only is it special, but having her alone makes Miss Vallière among a legendary few mages in our history. What we are now dealing with, Mr. Colbert, is something that is not to be discussed outside of this room, and that is to be discussed with myself only. I fear the balance of the world has suddenly fallen onto the shoulders of this Academy, and onto those two girls."

* * *

"They're so big…" Misaka stated. Louise huffed.

"Kirche's big mounds?" she said coldly. Misaka looked at the pinkette with a curious looks.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "And who's this Kirche?"

"Nothing," Louise answered. "Just a person who you're very likely to meet soon." Misaka shrugged, and turned back, looking out the window in Louise's room towards the twin moons that were outside. In the night sky, both moons were clearly visible. The larger moon had a blue-green glow, while the smaller moon had a red glow reminiscent to a harvest moon.

"I was talking about your two moons," the brunette explained. "They're not like the one moon that we have back home." Since the two had returned from the Academy Grounds, Misaka had explained her predicament to her unwilling partner, including the differences between their worlds. Louise was finding it hard to believe that what the brunette was saying was factual.

"Is that true?" Louise asked. "You only have one moon?" Misaka nodded.

"And it's much smaller than the two moons that you have," she explained. Louise rubbed her temples. Misaka's explanation of Earth had completely worn her out.

"I don't believe it," the pinkette said.

"Hey, neither can I," the brunette countered. "One minute I was walking out of an alleyway onto the street, and the next, I was sucked into a portal and found myself here." Louise did not seem to take notice at this statement.

"Next you're going to tell me that there's no magic where you come from, Commoner," she said in passing.

"Hey, who's a Commoner?" Misaka asked, raising her voice. "You don't get into Tokiwadi Academy by being common!"

"Well, you are a Familiar, after all," Louise explained. "There's no way a noble would become bound to another noble like myself." Misaka gritted her teeth, but said nothing. "Look, do you really not know about this world?"

"Of course not," the brunette answered. "Why else would I be so…so utterly confounded when all of you flew away like you had some sort of ability that allowed it?" Louise groaned.

"I wish I could send you back," she admitted. "Really, I would love to just put you back where you came from, and summon a proper Familiar. However, that's impossible now." Misaka seemed to lose her breath.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You've been bound to me under contract as my Familiar," Lousie explained. "It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside or a completely different world like you claim to be from; once the bond is established, it can't be undone until death." Misaka looked at her right hand, and looked at the writing that had been burned into her skin. "Those runes are proof of her contract."

"You've gotta be kidding me…" the brunette groaned, burying her hands in her face. "What about my friends…my family…?" Her thoughts turned to everyone she knew in Academy City. Kuroko, Saten, Uriharu, the Misaka Sisters, Mitsuko, Misaki, even a certain boy and his religious sidekick…were they all beyond her reach? Was she no longer able to see them again…ever?

No. She would find a way back. They would find a way to get to her. If there was anything her past experiences had told her, it was that the impossible was always a possibility. Her friends would be looking for her, and she would be looking for them. It would just have to be a little while.

She turned to look at Louise. "Well, looks like I'll be your Familiar for the time being." The pinkette frowned.

"Come again?" she asked. "It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'" She raised her finger as she said this, trying to assert dominance over her taller familiar.

"I didn't know there was a code of conduct with Familiars," Misaka stated.

"Well there is," the student said, "so listen well. First, a Familiar grants its master enhancements in vision and hearing. What you can see, I can see…except for some reason, I can't see anything. It doesn't seem to work with you."

"Not that it matters," Misaka said nonchalantly. "What else is there?"

"A Familiar will retrieve items such as reagents that its master desires," Louise stated. She noticed that Misaka had a blank expression on her face. "...You don't know what those are, do you?"

"Not a clue," she answered.

"It's like sulfur or moss," the pinkette explained. "They're used as catalysts for spells. But considering that I'm hopeless at magic, and you don't know what to look for, that's out of the question too. Finally…" Her voice began to grow in irritation. "…a Familiar is supposed to protect its master from any and all enemies! It is a duty of the highest importance, and yet even with a pitchfork you wouldn't be able to win a fight against a raven!"

"Hey, I'm not as useless as you think!" Misaka retorted. "I can -!" She paused, looking at her hand. _'Wait, I don't think that it would be best to tell Louise about my electromaster abilities yet. If this world knows about them, it may cause trouble for these people. For now, it's better if fewer people knew about my abilities for the time being.'_

"You can what?" Louise asked. "What were you going to say?"

"Oh, ah, I can…I can play the violin! And I have experience as a maid!" Misaka put on a big grin, which Louise only facefaulted at.

"In other words, you're a lowly human," the noble groaned. "You have no magical powers whatsoever, so even the simplest of magical beasts would take you down." Misaka gritted her teeth in frustration. "Therefore, I will only give you simple tasks I know you can perform with the upmost perfection; laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"And why can't you do it yourself?!" Misaka asked, surprised that these otherwise menial tasks were being placed onto her. "Can't you just throw them into a washing machine or something?"

"What's one of those?" Louise asked. She then began to yawn. "Ah, all this talking has made me sleepy." The pinkette pointed to the ground, where a pile of straw was pressed up against the wall. "Your bed is there."

"I'm not a cat or dog, you know," the brunette said back.

"There's only one bed," Louise explained. "And you can't sleep anywhere else." She threw the brunette a blanket. "Be lucky that I'm being this generous to you." Misaka was becoming more and more irritated with every sentence that Louise spouted out.

"Are all of you nobles this…?" She trailed as Louise began taking her blouse off in full view of Misaka. The Railgun began to blush wildly. "W-W-Why are you taking off your clothes?!"

"I'm going to bed, so I'm changing into my nightgown," Louise said, with no hint of concern. "Why?" As the pinkette took off her blouse, Misaka turned around.

"D-Do it in private! Not where I can watch you!" the brunette blurted out. "Don't you have some modesty?!" Louise shrugged.

"It's not awkward at all," she stated. "You're my Familiar, so even if you were a guy, I wouldn't have to worry about anything. But I guess I'll grant you this exception once." Louise turned around, facing away from Misaka, and continued changing into her nightwear.

"Really, this girl is pissing me off…!" muttered Misaka. Electricity began to course through her hair, crackling as it became visible for a moment. Louise finished putting her blouse on, and heard the electricity. She was facing away from Misaka, however, so she could not see the electricity.

"Bri-Bri?" Louise wondered, repeating the sound that she heard. "What's that noise?" It was like a switch was thrown in Misaka's head. The brunette snapped, and faced Louise, who still had yet to turn around.

"Don't you call me 'Bri-Bri' too!" the brunette shouted. The Railgun unleashed an electrical blast onto Louise. Caught off-guard, the pinkette was not able to brace herself for the blast.

"GYAAAHH!-!" she cried. The blast was too much for her to handle, and the pinkette lost consciousness, slumping to the ground. She was still breathing, but she was out cold.

"Ah, whoops…" Misaka was suddenly regretting what she had done. "This probably isn't going to go over well with her when she comes too…" Outside in the hallway, a few sets of footsteps stopped at the door.

"Louise? Are you alright?" a feminine voice asked. Misaka nearly jumped in surprise.

"Ah, s-she's alright!" the Railgun called out. "She…she just stubbed her toe! There's nothing to worry about!" After a few seconds, the footsteps returned, this time getting softer as they went away from the door. Misaka sighed. "Phew, that was close…."

Thus ended Misaka Mikoto's first night as a Familiar in a strange and magical place, where science seemed to be the exception, and not the norm.

**To be Continued...**


	3. My Master is a Failure

_Merry Christmas everyone! Thank all of you last week for giving me a special early Christmas present, by giving me my first ever day of 1000 hits! Let's keep up the success after you guys finish opening your presents, and catch up with the Railgun and the Vallière on their first day together. Read, review, and keep subscribed! Merry Christmas!_

_Also, I forgot to mention earlier, but I have a Forum that is linked on my profile. Please subscribe to keep appraised of later events, as I will be off for some weeks through January. Thank you!_

_- Ketchum Kid_

* * *

**Chapter 2: My Master is a Failure**

Louise slowly came back to her senses. Her body felt like it had been hit by a boulder, and getting up from her sleeping location – which was the straw pile in her room – was very painful.

"O-Ow…" she groaned, using the wall to prop herself up. "W…Why am I in a straw pile…and why do I feel tingly all over…." She looked towards her bed. In the light of the early morning, someone appeared to be rolled up in the covers. When Louise realized this, she frowned.

"Don't tell me it's in there…" she muttered. The pinkette walked over to her bed, and forcibly took off the bed covers. Underneath, Misaka Mikoto was sleeping soundly, in a pair of Louise's night dresses. The brunette was a few inches taller than Louise, so the dress did not quite fit properly, leaving her stomach exposed to the air. When the covers were taken off, Misaka shuddered, and clutched a pillow she was sleeping with tightly.

"Nngh…" she groaned, trying to keep the warmth in. "Five more minutes, Kuroko…" The sight disgusted Louise.

"Five more minutes my foot!" she said angrily. The pinkette went over to her desk, and took out her wand. She pointed the wand at her bed. "Get up, you stupid Familiar!" Where there was a bed soon turned into a smoky mess, with a loudly coughing Misaka in the center of it.

"What's going on-KEH, COUGH!- a fire?" The smoke cleared, and Misaka turned to Louise. It took a second for the brunette's memory to jog back. "Oh right, you brought me here last night…wherever here is." Louise was irate at her new familiar.

"Get out of my bed, and get out of my clothes!" she ordered. "It is a disgrace for a familiar to be sleeping in those rights reserved to a member of nobility! And why was I sleeping in your bed anyway?"

"Ah, you kinda slipped as you were changing," Misaka said as she got out, trying to conceal the fact that she had accidentally electrocuted her last night. "You fell, and hit your head

"And yet you didn't go and place me in my bedvor anything like that?!" Louise asked, seemingly buying the story that Misaka had woven.

"Well, you looked fine sleeping in the straw," the Railgun said cheekily, "so I just left you there. I guess a bed good enough for a noble is good for a familiar, so both beds were equally ours. I could have woken you up if I tried to move you that distance, so I didn't bother." Louise was fuming. It was clear to her that, in the short time that her Familiar had been around her, she had somehow known how to push her buttons and annoy her.

"And I suppose you'll be satisfied with eating the slop they give to the horses for breakfast?" she stated. Misaka did not follow.

"You know, I could just walk into your dining hall and get breakfast myself," the brunette said nonchalantly. She headed into the closet in order to change into her Tokiwadai uniform, which was now hanging up on the closet rack. "I don't think that you need to babysit a Familiar that much."

"Not unless they've been granted special permission to enter the dining hall allowed to only nobles," Louise said smartly. Misaka was just about to pull the closet door shut behind her, but stuck her fingers out in order to stop it from doing so.

"Come again?" she asked, sticking her head out of the closet.

"Familiars are forbidden to have breakfast in the dining hall normally," the pinkette explained, raising her finger to emphasize her point. "Remember when Mr. Colbert came in before you began talking about the moons?"

"Oh, that half-bald man?" Misaka stated, recalling the past evening's events. It had been overshadowed by the electrocution incident later on, but it was still memorable nevertheless. "He kept asking strange questions about locations that I've never been to. Although I still say Germania sounds a lot like Germany…"

"Yes, well, after that question and answer session," continued Louise, "I pulled Mr. Colbert aside, and asked for special permission for you to come into the dining hall. He gave it to me, but that doesn't mean that I have to use it. I could just tell the maids to not serve you a scrap of food." As if on cue, Misaka's stomach began to gurgle. "And I haven't seen you eat since you've arrived, so that must be only the tip of the iceberg." Misaka quickly shut the door to the closet. Behind it, Louise could hear the brunette changing out of her sleepwear.

"I get it, I get it!" stated Misaka. She opened the door, and stepped out of the closet, fully decked in her Tokiwadai uniform. "I'm out of your bed, and now I'm out of your pajamas."

"Good," said Louise. "Now get me my clothes for today." Misaka facefaulted.

"Wha?!" she exclaimed.

"A noble will never do anything so long as a servant that can do the same is within reach," the pinkette stated. "Since you've shown nothing to me that qualifies as being any better than a servant, you will act like one." Misaka grunted. While she did not want to bow down and be commanded by Louise, the fact that her breakfast was on the line compelled her to act otherwise. Going back into the closet, the brunette fetched out a uniform, identical to the one worn yesterday by the pinkette, and tossed it to her.

"There," she grumbled.

"You forgot the underwear," Louise reminded her, as she began to undress. Misaka went red in the face, and swiftly turned around.

"W-Why do I have to get those?!" she protested, although she was more embarrassed at her changing.

"They're in the lower drawer," the pinkette demanded.

_'Of all the lazy…'_ Misaka thought to herself. _'She's just using me as much as she can.'_ Regardless, she still fetched the underwear – which was a lacy pink design – and threw it over to the pinkette. _'At least Kuroko would approve of her choice…I think…'_ "Is there anything else you need?"

"Clothes," replied Louise. Misaka was confused.

"Eh? Is there a tear in the set I gave you?" she asked.

"Dress me," the noble replied.

"Are you that lazy-?!" Misaka turned around, and was surprised to see that Louise was standing by her bed, wearing nothing but the underwear that had been thrown to her. "R-Right, a servant can do the same job just as well…" The brunette had never dressed someone other than herself before, so it took some time before the outfit was on correctly. "Is that it?"

"Yes, that should be everything," Louise stated, nodding her head.

"Good, because I'm out of here," the Railgun declared. She walked quickly towards the door, and opened it with ease. "It's a good thing that I know where that dining hall is from your explanation." She walked out of the door, and made a turn towards the down staircase. "Although, do you think they would allow me in without-OOMPH!-!"

Unfortunately, Misaka had turned her head back towards Louise's room while she was talking, and was not looking where she was going. As a result, she had run into something that was in her way.

Something which had a pair of large, soft objects around which were now on Misaka's chin and chest.

"Ah!" Misaka exclaimed, and backed out of the object. The objects turned out to be a pair of very large breasts, which were owned by a girl with fiery red hair and very tanned skin. Her school uniform was purposely unbuttoned so as to expose as much of her massive cleavage as possible, and was complimented by a pair of golden-brown high-heeled boots, which acted as stockings up most of her legs. Still, some of her thighs were exposed, partially because of the girl's heightened skirt. "S-S-Sorry!"

"Ohoho?" the girl stated in a sultry voice. "Aren't we the careless today? You should watch where you're going in the presence of a noble."

"N-N-No I'm not!" Misaka replied nervously. She was more than a little shaken up over the run-in. "I doubt that you haven't walked into someone before."

"No, I have," the girl replied. "It's just that whenever I do, it's with a handsome man. After all…" she made a 360 twirl in place, and struck a pose that smelled of lewdness "…I'm well-endowed in the finest of arts. Not that you would know, from that sorry appearance." In that instance, Misaka's self-confidence was shattered. The brunette brought her hands to her chest, trying to cover what little esteem she had left.

_'S-S-S-Sorry…appearance…?!'_ she thought. Before any more insinuations were thrown, Louise stepped out of her room. She looked over, and frowned when she made eye contact with the red haired girl.

"Oh, hello, Louise!" the buxomed girl greeted warmly. Louise had anything but a cheery greeting for the girl.

"Hello Kirche," she bluntly greeted.

"H-Hold on," Misaka interjected. "Louise, this is the Kirche that you were talking about before?"

"Unfortunately, yes," the pinkette sighed.

"Nobody here doesn't know about the one and only Kirche von Zerbest!" the red-haired girl declared. "Although you can call me by my runic name, Kirche the Flame, if you wish!"

"More like Kirche the Sleep, as in sleeping with any living thing that's not your gender," retorted Louise.

"Um, I-I'll just stick with Kirche for now," Misaka said meekly. Louise batted the brunette on the head. "Ow!"

"And you, don't go being so familiar with Kirche," the pinkette ordered. "After all, the Vallière family has been rivals with the Zerbest family for centuries." Kirche smiled.

"I told you, Louise, I cannot lose to a Vallière," the Zerbest stated. "And I'm all but certain that the statement applies to our Familiars as well." She looked again at Misaka. "I will give you congratulations though. At least your Familiar is breathing after the first day." Louise grunted at this remark.

"And what does that mean, if I may ask?" the girl asked dryly, her white cheeks turning the same shade of red as Kirche's hair.

"I mean, if you're going to call a Familiar, at least make sure it will be a proper one," Kirche answered. "Come here, Flame!" Out of one of the rooms on the floor slithered a large, dark red lizard, which was as long as Kirche was tall. On the end of its tail, a vibrant flame burned brightly.

"Woah!" exclaimed Misaka. Her shattered subconscious returned at the sight of the strange creature. "What is that?" Kirche chuckled.

"Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard before, is it?" she asked.

"W-Well, I will admit that there is something similar to it where I come from…" the brunette admitted. '_Granted, though, that that lizard is a monster in a popular video game…'_ "…but ours isn't that big! Isn't it dangerous? I mean, if it sets down its tail, it can burn down a house." Kirche placed a hand on her chin.

"There's nothing to worry about," she stated. "After all, under the Familiar contract, a familiar will not accidentally or purpously damage property or life without the consent of the master. In other words, every order that I say, Flame follows."

"I…see…" the brunette replied nervously. Already, she could feel Louise's eyes locking on to the back of her head. "Don't you burn up when you're near it?"

"My affinity is Fire, so it's actually fairly cool to me. Even its tail, with a flame so vivid it could only be on a salamander from the Fire Dragon Mountains that is so sought after by collectors, is not that much warmer to the touch. It is a perfect match for Kirche the Ardent, the ardent of gently smoldering passion!" The girl puffed out her endowed chest proudly. Louise, in retaliation, did the same; however, with her flat figure, there was a stark contrast.

"Well, unlike you, I don't have the time to go around flirting with every male with two legs in order to get that passion," the pinkette countered.

"Don't hold your breath," the red-haired girl countered, smiling calmly. She turned her attention back to Misaka. "By the way, I wasn't able to catch your name, Familiar."

"U-Uh, Mikoto Misaka," the brunette responded. Kirche tilted her head.

"'Mikotomisaka?'" Kirche repeated curiously. "What an odd name." Misaka facefaulted.

"Don't confuse my first name with my last name," she groaned. Kirche released another chuckle.

"Well, I'm off now," the red-haired girl declared. She stroked her hair back, and turned to walk to the down staircase. "I can't have you two holding up breakfast any longer." Following behind her was Flame, with a curious shuffling movement that Misaka was unfamiliar with. "Goodbye, Louise the Zero, and the Familiar of Zero." She disappeared around the spiral staircase.

"That Kirche…" Louise grumbled.

"I can sympathize with you," Misaka stated. "I'm a bit self-conscious about my size as well." To this, Louise swatted at the brunette. This time, Misaka decided to dodge it. "Hey!"

"I-It's not about that!" she stated. "A mage's real power can be determined by the size of their familiar!" Misaka pondered this thought.

"Is that why you're called Louise the Zero?" the brunette wondered. "Is it like Kirche's title of Ardent?" To this, Misaka received another attempt at a slap, which was again dodged.

"That has nothing to concern you with," Louise declared. "It's just a nickname!" She then noticed that Misaka was staring at the pinkette's chest. Again, she tried to slap her familiar once, twice, several times in succession. All attempts were dodged. "Gah, stay still!"

* * *

Eventually, Louise gave up her attempt to leave a hand-shaped mark on Misaka's cheek, and the two proceeded to the dining hall. The dining hall was vast, with three very long red tables. On either side of each table were at least a hundred mahogany chairs. A balcony above the far side from the entrance sat another sitting area. Seeing Mr. Colbert and a few other older people sitting up there, Misaka deduced that the balcony was where the professors ate.

"You don't seem humbled by our dining hall," Louise said to Misaka. The brunette, while looking at the large dining hall in front of her with a keen eye, was not intimidated by it at all.

"No, it is impressive," Misaka stated. "It looks like something straight out a British novel. However, the Tokiwadai dining hall is not anything to sneeze at either." The two walked over to the middle set of tables. "Although, I don't think salmon or chicken is on our breakfast menu." Including those dishes were a trout-shaped pie, wine, and other delectable meals. "This is more like a dinner menu."

"Then it's a good thing you won't be eating any of this," Louise said dryly. Misaka blinked. She had been about to pull out a chair for herself.

"Eh?" she asked. Louise placed her hand on her hip.

"Even though I got you special permission to come in here, that doesn't give you permission to sit at the table with us nobles," she explained haughtily. "I would have gone to bat for you when we came in, but I thought against that after waking up on a straw bed to you in my clothing and on my bed." Misaka was stunned.

"You're still holding me to that?!" the brunette exclaimed. Louise pointed down to the floor. A bowl was placed there, and contained two items, the first of which being a thin soup with tiny scraps of meat, and the other being a half a loaf of a small, hard bread. Misaka's stomach rumbled at the sight of the measly meal. "You expect me to eat this? Starving children in Africa probably have better to eat than this." Louise ignored her.

"Enough of this nonsense," the pinkette declared. "Pull out my chair for me, will you? Otherwise, I'll have this taken out to another familiar instead." Reluctantly, Misaka complied. Soon, all of the students were sitting on the long tables, with Misaka sitting awkwardly on the floor, badly wanting to electrocute all of them.

"Bear with it," the Railgun muttered to herself. "Hopefully soon, I'll be back in Academy City, and I can eat a normal breakfast, and have a normal adventure with the others." The dining hall soon became quiet. On a balcony where the faculty ate, Osmond stepped forward and lead the students in prayer.

"Oh, Great Founder Brimir, and our lady, Queen Henrietta, we thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning." Misaka had to repeat this in her head after they stopped.

_'Humble meal? It's a banquet there; I have the humble meal,'_ she thought. "Hey Louise, can't you spare me some of your food?" Louise did not reply, but she did strip a small piece of chicken skin from her drumstick, and dropped it into Misaka's bowl. The brunette looked up resentfully at the pinkette. "That's all?"

"I'm not going to help start a habit," Louise muttered. Misaka huffed, and turned to her meal.

"Thanks for the meal," she said, sounding overly enthused about the meal.

"By the way, you can take my empty dishes back to the kitchen as well as your bowl," Lousie told her. "I wouldn't want to trouble the maids when I could just have my familiar do it for me." Misaka groaned, which was inaudible to Louise because of the brunette's even louder stomach.

Misaka grumbled as she took the dishes and bowl away to the kitchen. "Honestly, you can't let the people in charge of this take it? You have to force me to take it? How low can you make me feel –oof!" Again, Misaka had not been looking where she was going in her rant, and ran into someone. The person was a maid, and her bump sent the plate of fish that was on the maid's trout pie onto the floor. The plate fortunately landed on its bottom, and remained in one piece. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"N-No, forgive me!" the maid hastily stated. She kneeled down to pick up the trout pie. Misaka did as well, and the two hands collided as they both tried to grab the pie. "Ah, don't worry!"

"No, it's my fault that you dropped your pie," Misaka apologized. She took hold of the pie, and placed it on the tray. "Here you go."

"Thank you," the maid said. The maid had short black hair, and was about the same height as Misaka. She was wearing a traditional black and white maid outfit, similar to Maika Tsuchimikado. "You don't look like the nobles here. Are you that Familiar that Miss Vallière summoned?" Misaka sighed.

"Yes, I am Louise's Familiar, if you are asking that," she said. "Am I really that much of a deal?" The girl's eyes widened.

"Are you kidding?" the maid told her. "Nobody's ever summoned a commoner as a Familiar before! You've become the talk of the academy!"

"I have?" the surprised brunette stated. "Not that I can say I'm not used to it…" The maid was confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Where I come from, I am considered to be the model of a proper lady," Misaka explained. "I am the top amongst my peers. Some people even had the notion that I was unapproachable." She then sighed. "And then I suddenly come here. The proper ladies are total witches, the peers are all of the riches, and it seems that I am unapproachable, if I have this label of commoner. Seriously, it's only a system to keep people in power that are uncaring for the public." The maid looked at Misaka strangely.

"Nobles are those who possess magic," she explained. "The rest of us like you and me are commoners, those with no magical affinity whatsoever."

"Hm…" Misaka thought about this. "So the difference is not of a simple status, but of ability…" 'This is sounding more and more of the Level System of Academy City.'

"But I would be surprised if a Familiar was told to take empty dishes away," the maid stated, looking at Misaka's dirty dishes. "That's our job, after all." Misaka groaned, remembering why she had bumped into the maid in the first place.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," the brunette groaned. "That Louise is certainly a handful to deal with."

"If you would like, I can take those dishes back if you'll take this pie," the maid offered. "I was going to Miss Louise just now anyway, so it would be fine."

"That would be nice, since I still don't know where to go for these dirty things," Misaka stated. "Thank you, uh…"

"My name's Siesta," the maid introduced. "I have the privilege and the honor to serve the nobility here." The two girls exchanged their dishes.

"I am Mikoto Misaka, but you can call me Misaka," the Railgun greeted. "I have the unwanted privilege of being Louise's Familiar." Siesta leaned in.

"'Mikotomisaka?'" the maid repeated. "That's a very strange name, you know."

"That's because you combined the first and last names," Misaka sighed. "Does nobody have a last name here?"

"I've never heard of any commoner having a last name before," Siesta stated. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Misaka. Goodbye!"

"Ah, goodbye Siesta!" Misaka said. She watched as her first friend in this strange world left to do her work, before she too left to rejoin her master.

* * *

The classrooms at the Tristain Academy of Magic were not like the classrooms at Tokiwadai. For one, the classrooms at Tristain were round to fit in the turrets of the school's stone spires. The teacher sat at the lowest level, with each row of seats being progressively higher. After that, the differences end. The same cliques and seating assignments similar to all school environments exist in this world as they do in Academy City.

Such as the laughter at the oddball in the class when Louise and Misaka walked in.

"Man, this doesn't let up, does it?" commented Misaka. "Don't you ever want to use magic at them?"

"You get used to it," Louise quietly said. She sat down at a desk, as did Misaka. "Hey, it's like the dining hall. You have to sit on the floor."

"Hell if I'm sitting on a classroom floor," Misaka replied. "I can't see that well from the ground." Before Louise could try and counter, the teacher, a rather plump middle-aged woman, entered the classroom. She looked around the classroom, gazing at the familiars that had accompanied their masters.

"I always love to see the different familiars that the second year students summon, and this year is no different," the teacher said with a satisfied smile. She then noticed Louise and Mikasa. "Oh, Miss Vallière! You've summoned…quite the familiar, it seems." The innocent comment sparked the quiet students, who returned to their laughing ways. One particular pair of students, a blonde pair of boy and girl, seemed to laugh louder than the others.

"Hey Zero!" the girl called out. "Don't go grabbing random commoners off of the street!" Louise stood up, and turned to face the girl.

"I did not!" she protested. "I did everything properly!"

"Don't lie, Zero!" the boy stated. "I bet you had to pay someone to do the Summon Servant spell for you!" The other students chuckled. Louise turned to the teacher.

"Mrs. Chevreuse! Guiche the Vain has insulted me!" The boy, Guiche, seemed to be taken aback by this statement.

"Hey!" the girl exclaimed. "My Guiche's name is Guiche the Bronze!"

"Stop it, the three of you!" the teacher shouted at them. "Calling people names is uncalled for in my classroom."

"I apologize, Mrs. Chevreuse," Guiche stated. "However, for Louise, Zero is not a nickname; it is a fact of life." There was a little bit of laughter from a few students, but it quickly became choked off. Misaka looked, and saw that something appeared in these students mouths. The brunette then turned towards Chevreuse, who had her wand pointed towards the students that had laughed.

"Then I suppose I should call you all 'Red Clay' since that is what will be in your mouths until the end of the class if you make fun of Louise and her familiar," Chevreuse stated sternly. She then turned towards Misaka. "I'm terribly sorry about that. I would like to know what Miss Vallière's familiar's name is, please." Misaka stood up.

"My name is Misaka Mikoto," she introduced, bowing her head. "I am not from anywhere near here, so I do not know much about this part of the world." Had the threat of clay in the mouth not been looming, a few of the students would have laughed.

"Way to be discreet," Louise muttered.

"A pleasure to meet you, Misakamikoto," Chevreuse stated.

"U-Um, please, just call me Misaka," the brunette asked. _'I'm done with correcting people. That's the last time I say my full name.'_ The professer nodded.

Well, Misaka, my name is Chevreuse the Red Clay, an Earth element mage. I assume that since you are a familiar, you do not know much about magic, so I'll go over a quick crash course for you." She began walking around her teacher's floor. "Have you noticed that Tristain Academy is built in the shape of a pentagram?" Misaka thought for a second. She had not seen what the academy buildings as a whole, but she had noticed that the building layout was at a series of angles, with walls connecting the angles to the central building.

"I had a hunch it was in a shape," the brunette stated. "However, I was not sure what shape it was in." Chevreuse smiled.

"The shape of the buildings represents the five elements of magic," she explained. "Four of the points are connected to the center by interior walls. This represents the four great elements. Can anyone tell me which elements these are?" Nobody answered. "Malicorne?" A plump blond boy stood up.

"Y-Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse," he answered. "They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

"Excellent," Chevreuse stated. "The fifth corner is not connected to the main building. This represents the lost element, Void. Of these five elements, I will be focusing on Earth. Now, I consider Earth to be one of the most important of the great elements, and not just because I am an Earth mage. The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it wasn't for Earth magic, we wouldn't be able to produce or process necessary metals. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more manual work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's life. "

_'So in place of science, there is magic,'_ Misaka thought. _'No wonder Louise acts so proudly of her status as being a mage.'_

"Now, everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation,'" Chevreuse continued. "While there will be people here who have already learned this in their first year, basics build foundations, so let's review it once more." The mage turned her attention to a group of pebbles that were on her desk. She twirled her wand over them and whispered a spell. Suddenly, the pebbles began to glow brightly. When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"G-G-Gold?!" Misaka exclaimed in surprise. Some of the other students, including Kirche, were leaning forward.

"I'm sorry to disappoint," Chevreuse explained, "but that's only plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..." Chevreuse gave a self-important cough. "A Triangle mage, after all." The students who leaned forward slumped back into their seats. "Now, can anyone demonstrate this spell for me?" Nobody raised their hands. None of the students wanted to volunteer, so Chevreuse was forced to draft a choice from the student body. "Ah, Miss Louise." Louise seemed surprised.

"Eh?" the pinkette wondered. She seemed surprised. "Me?"

"Yes, dear," the professor stated. "Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice." Louise did not stand up. She simply sat there, looking troubled and fidgety.

"Oi, Louise, she's talking to you!" Misaka hissed. She was concerned about the unwanted attention, but there was also another thing bothering the Railgun. Since Louise had been called, the quiet silence had turned strangely awkward. There were uncomfortable shifts in the student's behavior, with eyes shifting around the room nervously.

"U-Um, I think it would be better if you didn't let her..." spoke up Kirche, who stood up.

"And why is that?" Chevreuse asked. Like Misaka, she was confused by the classroom's sudden shift in mood.

"It's dangerous," Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the students in the room nodded in agreement. Chevreuse frowned.

"Dangerous?" the professor repeated. "How so?" Kirche sighed.

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?" she asked.

"It is," Chevreuse stated. "However, I hear she's a hard worker, so nothing should be the matter." The professor turned back to the pinkette. "Now, Miss Vallière. Don't you worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread making mistakes." Kirche's face paled.

"Don't, Louise!" the Ardent cried, now trying to appeal to her peer. Louise stood up. Her face showed nervousness, but her eyes showed confidence.

"I'll do it," she declared. The class erupted into surprised commotion as Louise walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled. "Miss Vallière, you have to visualize vividly the metal that you wish to transmute them into."

Giving a little nod, Louise waved her wand, and began quietly speaking. As she did so, the students in front and behind Misaka had begun to hide under their desks. A blue haired girl stood up, and took her leave from the room. This completely confused the brunette, and even scared her a little.

"Hey, you!" she hissed over towards the plump Malicorne boy. "What's going on? Why's everyone hiding?" The blonde nervously showed his head.

"Y-You don't know about Zero's magical ability?!" Malicorne hissed. The brunette glared at him.

"Would I be asking you if I don't?!" she retorted.

Suddenly, Misaka's radar sense kicked in. Something bad was about to happen

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short word and flourished her wand.

Misaka dove for the desk, getting underneath just in time to miss a large explosion sail overhead.

The classroom turned into complete pandemonium overhead. Misaka jolted her head up as soon as she could. What greeted her was the chaos as a panicked snake Familiar slithered over the desk by her. "Owah!" She fell back down onto the ground in surprise. Overhead, the classmates were hurling angry words at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Luckiiiiieee!"

Misaka finally stood up. She saw the professor Chevreluse on the ground, out cold. She was twitching slightly, so she had life still in her, even if it would not be clearly evident for a while. Next to her was a soot-blackened Louise, who stood slowly off the ground. The uniform that she had fussed about earlier this morning was now a tattered mess. The torn blouse revealed her slender shoulder, and the ripped skirt showed a bit of her panties. Despite this, she appeared unfazed by the terror of students and Familiars around the room.

"Looks like I messed up a little..." she said weakly, as she moved for a handkerchief in her pocket in order to clean up the soot. However, this statement elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"That wasn't 'a little!' mistake, Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always Zero!"

"Go back home, Zero!"

Misaka finally understood why Louise had gained her notorious nickname. It was not because of her breast size, or for any physical reason.

And with that understanding came the sympathy from having dealt with a situation like this before.

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
